PDP Crisis: Pro APC/ Wike Faction Plots Resurrection of nPDP

By Akinjide Aina, Abuja Bureau Chief

As Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP slips into debilitating leadership crisis and the battle for its soul rages, The Source has learnt that barring a last minute change of heart, a faction of the party loyal to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the immediate past Rivers state Governor and Minister For FCT, Nyesom Wike will in the coming days announce a split from the party and formation of new PDP, reminiscent of a similar split in the party in 2013.

The faction, supported and allegedly financed by Wike, a chieftain of the party but who worked against it in the 2023 presidential election, is headed by Umar Damagum. Damagum, viewed by many in the party as a lackey of the FCT Minister and President Tinubu was Friday suspended by an opposing faction.His own faction would hours later issue a statement suspending the faction that had earlier suspended him.

The magazine was reliable informed that the rumpus in the PDP has its locale in the 2027 presidential election. The Damagum/ Wike faction, the magazine learnt, are bent on weakening the party and keeping it divided thus rendering it ineffective and unable to effectively challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

“Wike has not forgotten and will never forgive the PDP for denying him its 2027 ticket; he is dealing with the PDP through the Damagum faction; he is intent in finishing off the PDP before urinating on its carcass and moving to the APC. I can authoritatively tell you that the duo of Wike and Damagum, though still claiming PDP membership, are actively working for Tinubu’s re-election

“In the coming days, the Damagum faction, citing the leadership crisis in the party will announce the birth of nPDP reminiscent of the 2013 episode when PDP renegades opposed to the re-election bid of former President Goodluck Jonathan walked out of the party’s national convention and then announced the formation of a splinter group called new PDP or nPDP”, a highly placed party source privy to the plot told the magazine.

Further giving an insight into the lethal design  of the Wike/ Damagum impending nPDP, the source further told this magazine: “The nPDP will claim it’s the authentic PDP and then try to sustain the crisis, wear out the party, create the enabling legal and moral ground for their conspirators in the National Assembly and state Assemblies to defect to the APC before announcing, as was the case in 2014, it is dissolving into the ruling party”

The magazine was also informed that citing a division in the national leadership of the party, two PDP Governors are mulling the option of dumping the party for the APC.

Announcing the suspension of Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Sam Anyanwu, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, in a press statement, Hon. Debo Ologunagba attributed the action to anti- party activities by the two national officers, especially their role in the feud between Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The statement reads in part: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP has extensively considered the series of complaints raised against the Acting National Chairman, Amb. Illiya Damagum and National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu particularly with regard to the letter addressed by them to the Court of Appeal in Appeal No:CA/PH/307/2024 against the Party’s position in the case involving the 27 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who vacated their seats upon decamping from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC)

“The NWC condemned this anti-party activity of the Acting National Chairman and the National Secretary which is in gross violation of the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) and their Oath of Office.*

“Consequently, the NWC, pursuant to Sections 57, 58 and 59 of the PDP Constitution, has suspended Amb. Illiya Damagum and Sen. Samuel Anyanwu as Acting National Chairman and National Secretary of the Party respectively and referred them to the National Disciplinary Committee for further action

“In the meantime, the two officials are suspended from all meetings, activities and programs of the NWC pending the conclusion of investigation by the National Disciplinary Committee”

Damagum’s faction on its part also cited alleged anti- party activities  and disloyalty to the party as reason for the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, and the National Publicity Secretary, Ologunagba.

Meanwhile, the NWC of the party has announced the appointment in acting capacity of Yariya Ahmed Muhammed as Damagum’s replacement. This is coming amid appeal by the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT led by former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara for a sheath of sword by the warring factions.